


Pushing Roses

by orphan_account



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell, Pushing Daisies
Genre: Baz and Simon are obvious if you watch the show, Fiona is Emerson and Agatha is Olive, M/M, anyway, i really just wanted a crossover, if not you should, its a happy ending dont worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Baz the Piemaker has a very special gift. He can bring the dead back to life with a touch, but not without consequence. When his childhood sweetheart Simon Snow turns up dead, he decides to bring him back, and keep him alive. Except there's only one condition.Baz can't touch him again, or Simon will be dead. Forever.





	Pushing Roses

At this very moment, Baz the Piemaker was standing before an open casket, staring down at the face of the boy he once loved. Simon was twenty three years, fifty six days, four hours, and nine minutes old when he had unexplainably died on a cruiseline.

But his life was about to be lengthened.

The Piemaker set his stopwatch, then hesitates a moment before touching Simon's cheek, ever so softly. But it was enough.

* * *

Simon was now twenty three years, ninety five days, one hour, and one minute old, kneading dough beside his unstated boyfriend. Their life had become a complicated dance of belled slippers, spoken actions, and saran wrap kisses. Although Simon longed to touch him, he knew that he couldn't. If he did, then he'd be back in his casket, for good this time. He also had to use an alias when he came along on Baz and Fiona's jobs (which Fiona did not like whatsoever), and disguises. It was a little difficult for him sometimes, as the dead boy who wanted adventure, then almost immediately got suffocated. It didn't help that his death had been all over the news.  
  
Baz, on the other hand, was happy that Simon was back. He hadn't seen him since his father sent him away after his mother's (and Simon's father's) death. He had missed Simon's golden curls and excessive freckles and moles, and of course his smile. In fact, he hadn't smiled so often himself in years. He watched Simon roll out the dough, letting one grow on his face as he listened to his hums. This fond look made a certain waitress who worked for the Piemaker extremely jealous.

Agatha Wellbelove had been trying to win the Piemaker's affections almost since he'd hired her. In turn, she didn't always agree with Simon, or anything having to do with the boy who had faked his death, in her eyes. However her and Simon were friends, somewhat, due to mutual interest. But of course, Agatha was always more focused on Baz. Now, she was staring daggers into the blond, wondering how in the world he was able to get a smile out of him so easily when the closest she'd gotten was an uncomfortable grimace.

And Fiona Pitch just wanted to get this murder solved so she could get her damn money. Nevermind the dead boy.

* * *

The rules of Baz's ability were simple enough to understand. First touch, life. Second touch, dead again. And if the dead comes back for longer than a minute, an equal life must die.

Which was why it was so hard to keep himself from touching Simon.  
  
They'd only ever had one kiss, and it was more of a peck than a kiss. It was at their respective parents' funerals. (Baz had brought his mother back after a blood vessel burst in her brain. He didn't know about the third rule just yet. Nor the second, for that matter.) He wanted to kiss him again, a real kiss. He wanted to get more than just a whiff of Simon's scent. (Like a wildfire. And honey.) Hell, he just wanted to hold his hand without needing to wear a latex glove. But even the slightest bit of contact to his bare skin, and he would be gone again. So he tried his best to keep contact to a minimum. He'd even made devices.

Simon, too, found it hard to keep himself away. Even with the devices and the threat of a second death, he wanted to touch him. (Wood doesn't compare to real flesh.) But he followed the no-touching rule, albeit reluctantly. He couldn't feel his lips properly with a layer of saran wrap between them. (He was pretty sure he accidentally suffocated Baz the first time.) But it was the closest thing they could manage.

So he coped.

* * *

The Piemaker and the boy who was supposed to be dead sat in the back of Fiona's car ("The front seat is for people that are alive and don't keep dead people alive for longer than he should," she'd told Baz), waiting for the P.I. to return from speaking to her client. They were separated by a thick slab of plastic that Baz hat put in soon after Simon was brought back, but Baz still distanced himself from the other. Simon watched him quietly, hesitating before leaning against the plastic. "Do you think the touch thing wears off over time?"

Baz blinks, looking over at him. "The touch thing?"

"Yeah. The whole dead again deal."

"...I don't know. And I don't really want to find out."

"It wouldn't hurt to, sort of..."

 "Yes, Simon, it would. What happens if you do die? What will I do then?" Baz huffs, then stops himself. He didn't want to hurt Simon. But he was.

Simon quickly looked away, folding his hands in his lap. "No touching it is, then."

* * *

 For the next year, they never spoke of it again. They continued their dance, and the Piemaker distanced himself further. Simon gave up on his attempts to get closer, and simply let him be. Agatha most definitely noticed, and saw her chance.

"So. Trouble in paradise?" Conveniently, she went back to clean counters as he was rolling out dough. "I've noticed that Simon stopped helping."

"Mm. Thanks for reminding me."

"Oh, come on. Perk up! You two never even touched!" Baz's expression darkens, and he contemplated telling her why. But he couldn't. She didn't believe Simon, so why would she believe him?

"I don't like touching people. There's nothing wrong with that." He tries to ignore her, jerking away when she poked his arm. For a second, the thought of directly showing her why touching was not his favorite thing passed his mind.

"There is something definitely wrong with that. How are you supposed to love someone without-" Baz slams his rolling pin down without realising it, effectively shutting Agatha up.

"I don't know, okay? I don't know how! Are you satisfied?" He grits his teeth, gripping the edge of the counter.

Agatha only stares, startled by his outburst. "Sure," she answers softly, now silently returning to the main dining area. Baz huffs, now burying his head in his hands.

Simon Snow will be the end of him.

* * *

Agatha didn't speak to him about touching, or Simon, again. 

 Simon and Baz no longer had to dance. In fact, they hardly saw eachother.

The Piemaker knew it was his fault for being afraid to touch him. He'd never brought someone back for longer than a few hours until him. It was nearing two years now.

Sometimes, he wondered if he should have stuck to having him back for one minute. Then he could have ended it with the kiss he wanted so badly. But Simon would never have felt it.

* * *

"I want a date night."

Baz sighed, looking up at Simon. He no longer smiled. Neither did Simon. "It's not much of a date night if I can't touch you."

Simon moves his arms from behind his back, and shows Baz his gloved hands. When there was no reaction, he poked the Piemaker's cheek. "You can. At least, the hands." The hands aren't nearly enough. But Baz finds himself agreeing anyway.

They don't let go of eachother at all that night. And for the first time in a long while, Baz smiles again.

Even more so when they both discover there was a hole in one of the gloves, and Simon was still breathing. They end the night with a kiss that's much too long, and much too desperate. But neither of them complain. (Not that they had the breath to.)

When you haven't touched your lover for two years, that's what happens.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic, you will most likely enjoy Pushing Daisies as well! If not, well, you probably wouldn't. Here's a link to the episodes if you're interested!
> 
> http://www.cwseed.com/shows/pushing-daisies/pie-lette/?play=ad8eb524-f84e-4e96-9a42-504315e0a305


End file.
